Wild Weeds and Grasses

[C.F.Admin]

This section is for Wild Weeds and Grasses that you find around your house or garden that you feed to your birds.

What wild weeds and grasses that you would recommend to members to feed to a bird or birds.
Pictures of the weeds can also be placed in this section.

thank you

[Edmund Fong]

Hi Fred,

In the old avicultural texts written in the 50s, 60s and 70s, they used to say you could feed your birds Thistles and Dandelion leaves.

In recent times I've read somewhere that you shouldn't give your birds anything that secrets a milky liquid as it may be toxic.

Does anyone know if this is true for Thistles and Dandelion or is it just somebody's misguided conclusion?

I've been feeding my birds this stuff for years without a mishap however I do have deaths but there is no evidence that it has been connected with Dandelions and Thistles. I feed them Leaves stem and roots.

[C.F.Admin]

I have been feeding my birds Dandelions and Thistles for years also and I have never lost a bird yet.
Thistle buds are great for finches also for two reasons one they eat the thistle flowers and what they dont eat the finches will use in the nest.

Parrots love Dandelions as well as thistles.
So for what you have seen written back in the 50,s and 60,s could be out of date.

Another one that has the white milky liquid is chickweed the birds love that also

I hope this helps

[Edmund Fong]

Thx for your confirmation Fred,

to correct your interpretation of my text in case it confuses anyone...

The OLD text says it is OK to feed it to them.

It was some recent book or writeup on the internet (I can't remember where, but I can just remember reading about it) that cast doubt in my mind.

[C.F.Admin]

Yes the old text is right it is OK to feed Dandelions and Thistles to your birds.

I have seen many things over the net that is not right that is where it is good to come to a forum like this and have questions like this sorted out fairly quickly